Mount Beauty played host to the final round of the Victorian Downhill Series. The track and the town itself is a long-time favourite amongst the riders, so everyone was already excited when they arrived into town. There was a threat of rain forecast but this didn’t keep the crowds away with approximately 250 riders entering.
As practice began the track immediately began bedding in and soon wearing quickly. Ruts began to form and corners started being dug our very quickly, leaving plenty of loose dust off line. This presented a high risk to any rider willing to try a different line.
As practiced continued it was becoming apparent that Mount Beauty was out to claim as many riders, components and bones as possible! Almost every shuttle run involved at least one mechanical and a more than minor off. The mountain then showed its teeth a little more severely, claiming Shelly Floods wrist and her V10 linkage.
As practice drew to an end, there were many smiles and plenty of dusty, crash moustaches. Riders walked away excited for Sundaya��s racing.
In the open practice Sunday morning riders were determined to hit race run lines and attempt those sneaky lines that perhaps were missed or eyed off on Saturday. For some it payed off, for others it meant coming off. For Daniel Wilson it means bottoming out, pretty intensely with only a couple of riders clearing one of the last jumps on track.
As qualifying began riders started streaming down the hill, getting looser and looser, simultaneously the plates got higher and higher in ranking. Unfortunately, mid-way through Melvin Aricayos came into view and slammed into a tree track side. This halted qualifying and eventually caused qualifying to be cancelled for the remainder of the riders, which in turn brought race runs forward for every rider. Melvin has suffered plenty of injuries from his off and we wish him all the best in his recovery.
As the track was cleared and the order somewhat shaken up, the Elite men started coming down the hill, leaving the Expert Men to finish the day, which was a nice change for once. Being in listed plate order things got shaken up, though being the last round the order almost sorted itself out, plenty of interstaters were assumingly lower than you would expect in the order. As the Elitea��s finished up many riders were disappointed in the race run only decision, however with light not being on our side, now daylight savings has finished, the opportunity for a qualifying and race run seemed bordering on impossible.
At the end of the day Dean Lucas took the win in Elite Men in his final outing with the Kona Australia Team and Sarah Booth took the win in Elite women ending the season with another Kona Australia dominated top step.
Elite Men
1. LUCAS Dean 2:48.057
2. PANOZZO Liam 2:49.863 + 1.806
3. MCMILLAN David 2:51.745 + 3.688
4. PANOZZO Joel 2:53.572 + 5.515
5. ATKINSON Rhys 2:56.132 + 8.075
Elite Women
1. BOOTH Sarah 3:50.739
2. WALE Ellie 4:12.300 + 21.561
3. BEETON Hannah 4:14.431 + 23.692
4. LI Liching 4:17.959 + 27.220
5. LI Lina 4:21.457 + 30.718
Under 19 Men
1. VARLEY Aiden 2:50.259
2. ZWAR Oliver 2:58.465 + 8.206
3. HAWKINS Austen 3:13.396 + 23.137
4. KELAART Benjamin 3:16.437+ 26.178
5. FALTUM Liam 3:17.118 + 26.859
Images & Words: Jason Stevens
